A man who threatened a police officer with a driver died after being shot by a Coconino County lieutenant near the Flagstaff mall on Wednesday morning, Flagstaff police said.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., police arrived in the area of 89th U.S. and Cummings Street and received a call that a man later identified as 51-year-old Donald Henry of Missouri had broken a gas station window and stolen from the store. received. According to Flagstaff Police. Around the same time, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a call that someone was threatening to stabb someone with a knife at a nearby store.
Sergeant Odis Brockman said the reports were about the same person.
Police said in a news release that Henry, who had the driver, was contacted and “progressed toward officers in a threatening manner.”
A sheriff’s office deputy arrived in the area and told the man to stop and drop the driver. The man disobeyed orders and crossed the road, police said.
Law enforcement officers surrounded Henry and said he was following orders. Henry then charged his deputy with a screwdriver, who shot him, according to police.
A police news release said the officer fired a gun and also used a stun gun at the same time.
According to a news release, “The Deputy Commissioner ultimately had to resort to deadly force to stop the threat being charged.
Henry was pronounced dead at the scene.
Flagstaff police released body camera footage Wednesday afternoon of two Coconino County sheriff’s deputies, identified only as “McCabe” and “Harvey.” A Flagstaff police officer, identified as “Patton,” was also present at the incident.
In the video, a deputy can be heard telling Henry to get to the ground with a gun on him. The footage shows Henry pausing and then starting to run away before turning around and approaching Herbie.
McCabe does not appear to have fired at Henry.
The shooting was being investigated by the Northern Arizona Officer Involvement Shooting Team. Anyone with information about the incident should call the Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
Cummings Street is closed indefinitely and southbound US 89 is restricted to two lanes, Flagstaff Police said in a Facebook post. People could access the Mobile He Haven District and Summit High School via Lynch Drive.
Contact breaking news reporter Angela Cordova Perez. Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
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